Join us Feb. 24th at 7 pm for a film screening at The Grand Theatre in downtown Frankfort as local filmmaker Sellus Wilder reveals the “true story of the bluegrass pipeline” in this award winning documentary. A community discussion will follow at the Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe with Sellus and other subjects from the film.

A portion of the proceeds will support Josie’s Conservation Program, a new adventure starting this year that creatively explores environmental education at JSP.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door before the show or in advance HERE.

More info here.

State arts leaders gathered Jan. 20 for Arts Day in Kentucky, an annual celebration of the Commonwealth’s arts community and the vital roles it plays in the state’s livelihood. The day is also an opportunity for arts leaders to thank members of the Kentucky General Assembly for their continued support of arts funding through the Kentucky Arts Council.

Sen. Julian M. Carroll and Rep. Derrick Graham presented the Josephine Sculpture Park with a check for $2,071 for a Kentucky Arts Partnership (KAP) grant awarded by the arts council in July 2015. The funding awarded to Josephine Sculpture Park is part of $1.2 million the arts council awarded to 91 nonprofit arts organizations across the state for the 2016 fiscal year.

John Hockensmith, Kentucky Arts Council board member; Sen. Julian M. Carroll; Melanie VanHouten, Josephine Sculpture Park artistic director; and Lori Meadows, Kentucky Arts Council executive director.

On Jan. 20, arts leaders came from across the Commonwealth to celebrate the public value of the arts and to thank legislators for their continued support of the Kentucky Arts Council. Checks were presented to organizations awarded Kentucky Arts Partnership operational support grants by the arts council in July 2015. Rep. Derrick Graham; Melanie VanHouten, Josephine Sculpture Park artistic director; and Lori Meadows, Kentucky Arts Council executive director.

“Kentucky has excellent arts organizations in every region of the Commonwealth that provide year-round arts experiences in their communities,” said Lori Meadows, arts council executive director. “The state arts agency is proud to partner with Josephine Sculpture Park to ensure the arts are made available to all Kentuckians.”

This year’s Arts Day comes during the 50th anniversary year of the establishment of the arts council by the Kentucky General Assembly.

“It’s uplifting to reflect on where we’ve come from 50 years ago and to think about the kind of support we can give to our arts partners today through programs like the Kentucky Arts Partnership,” Meadows said. “We are grateful to the members of the Kentucky General Assembly – then and now – for their collective support of the Commonwealth’s artistic legacy and integrity.”

KAP grants provide operating support on a competitive basis to arts and cultural organizations and community arts programs to ensure participation in the arts is available to the people of Kentucky.

For more information about Arts Day in Kentucky, visit the Kentucky Arts Council’s website.

The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, fosters environments for Kentuckians to value, participate in and benefit from the arts. Kentucky Arts Council funding is provided by the Kentucky General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. The arts council celebrates 50 years of service in 2016.

This week we celebrate the visiting artist program at JSP which brings artists here from across the globe to create new work on site. They also teach workshops that range from basic wood sculpture to stone carving, eco-arts, performing arts and more. Often, the result is a community sculpture such as Despacho, which was designed and built by two students from the University of North Florida. This piece invites the viewer to actually participate in the creation of the work, by leaving their own offering.

Heike Endemann was in residence at JSP from Bodensee, Germany for 6 weeks this summer. She created 4 new works and taught 2 workshops for young sculptors using wood from a locally felled tree. The Ash was removed due to the Emerald Ash Borer and the kids were also introduced to the environmental impacts of such invasive species.

We have a great line up scheduled for 2016 as well, including Aaron Dysart from MN, Mayumi Amada from Japan, and Phyllis Free from GA. Sign up below to get all the updates as new artists and workshops are added.

JSP is off to a great start in the GoodGiving Guide Challenge! You helped us meet our first 2 goals and we had a huge crowd at Buddy’s Pizza last week. The music was amazing and of course, so was the PIZZA! If you were there, you know…and if you weren’t there, you sure don’t want to miss out on the next big gig!! The Kentucky Coffeetree Cafe is hosting a Holiday Paint Party featuring Jennifer Zingg of Full Circle Studio to support JSP in the GoodGiving Guide Challenge. This will be a fun night of painting and holiday cheer, so be sure to visit the site for more details and to register all your friends for this unique holiday event. A portion of the registration will support JSP as well as the profits from food and drink sales that night after 6pm… so even if painting isn’t your “cup of tea”, you will still have a great time with friends, hanging out to support a great cause! ps I’ve heard their specialty cocktails are amazing!

The GoodGiving Challenge is here! We are on our way to raising $3000 for Josephine Sculpture Park by next Friday, Nov. 27!!!  Will you help us?

Your donation will be doubled by generous matching donors!! Help us spread the word and let everyone you know that now is the time to give to JSP by donating through our website.

Click on any DONATE button to learn more about JSP and Donate!!

JSP is thrilled to have been selected to participate in the Good Giving Guide Challenge this year! This online giving campaign is organized through the Bluegrass Community Foundation and is sponsored by Smiley Pete Publishing. Look for JSP in the Good Giving Guide all over Lexington…. and online!!

Your donation will help us win a $5000 endowment from the Bluegrass Community Foundation, so please visit our donation page and see all the GOOD we are GIVING throughout the year!